By:Susan Lin
Each year since 1989, the Nassau Pops has put on a performance at Tilles Center for the Performing Arts from which all proceeds from the sale of tickets (this year, $30 each) are donated to the Special Olympics. Last year, the Nassau Pops raised $25,000 for the charity.
This year's "13th Annual Gala Benefit," featuring singer and comedienne Marilyn Michaels, will take place Sunday, Oct. 21.
The conductor and the 70 musicians in the Nassau Pops will play for about two hours that evening without pay. And to cover the costs of the production, including booking the space at the world-class Tilles Center and guest performer Michaels, orchestra members raised the money from corporate and private donors.
Why did the Nassau Pops pick the Special Olympics, a charity for those who are mentally retarded, as the recipient of its efforts?
The decision was almost incidental. "My sister volunteers with a local chapter in Connecticut. She introduced me to the Special Olympics in the late '80s," said Louis Panaccuilli, the conductor and vice president of the Pops.
"I've been to the games and I've never seen sportsmanship and teamwork like I have among the Special Olympics athletes. It's heartening to be able to do this for them," he said.
Of course, he is also excited about being able to perform at Tilles Center. The Nassau Pops is known for the free, outdoor concerts it gives at local parks. The shows are a good time, but they're not at Tilles.
"All of the great orchestras of the world have performed at the Tilles Center," Panaccuilli said. "And on the night before we're going to be there, Tony Bennett is going to be there."
Besides the Nassau Pops, which will present Broadway-oriented orchestral music, singer, comedienne and impressionist Michaels will put on her act that night, and if not for charity, for the good cause of entertainment.
The performer from the Upper West Side of Manhattan sees herself as an entertainer, rather than just a singer or a stand-up comedienne, she said.
Michaels' routine is a melding of several genres. "I sing and then I do humor and it's interspersed with patter. And then I'll digress and just do a straight song," she said.
Perhaps what stands out in her performances is her impressions of celebrities. That evening, Michaels will act or even sing a whole song in the voice and manner of Barbara Streisand, Lily Tomlin, Judy Garland, Bette Midler and Evanna Trump, among many famous people.
In one particular act, Michaels' personal version of "Cinderella," she performs the lead character as Bette Midler, the wicked stepmother as Joan Rivers and the two step-sisters as Rosanne and Cher. Who Prince Charming is, though, Michaels said she wanted to be a surprise.
"My show is very diverse. If you don't like something, stick around, because in a couple of minutes, something's going to come around that you will like," said Michaels, who is to do her stuff after intermission, during the second half of the gala show.
While Michaels has incorporated other elements into her show, she originally started out as a singer, following in line with many in her family. Her mother, Fraydele Oysher, was a professional singer, and her late father, Harold Sternberg, was a basso in the Metropolitan Opera.
"When I was a kid, I would be listening to music and I was just able to do it, I was able to reproduce those sounds," Michaels said.
Today, "I'm there to make you laugh, maybe shed a tear and to absolutely transport you to a wonderfully happy place," Michaels said. "That's my job."
At a Glance
The Nassau Pops Symphony Orchestra
featuring Marilyn Michaels
4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 21
Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, C.W. Post Campus, Route 25A, Brookville, (516) 299-3100, www.tillescenter.org
$30; $25 seniors and students
